The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has thrown its weight behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the controversy surrounding the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), an initiative that would have seen up to 20% of FIFA’s commercial business, including the FIFA World Cup, opened to foreign investors.
In a statement issued after its Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Thursday, CAF unanimously endorsed FIFA’s Joint Update on the FIFA Forward Enterprise, accepting the apology from FIFA for the way the proposal was handled and acknowledging that mistakes were made during the consultation process.
CAF noted that FIFA has now withdrawn the proposal, committed to conducting a review, and maintained that the process was carried out in compliance with FIFA’s regulatory framework.
More significantly, the African football governing body unanimously reaffirmed its confidence in Gianni Infantino despite growing criticism from several confederations and member associations over the handling of the proposal.
In its statement, CAF said:
“The CAF EXCO also unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African Football, over the years.”
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe also reiterated that governance, transparency and due process remain “crucial and non-negotiable,” while stressing that the Confederation will continue working with FIFA to strengthen football governance and drive the development of the game across Africa.
